The Dutch government contacted Ukraine “several times and at the very highest level” in an effort to prevent the handover of Vladimir Tsemakh, believed to be an air defence specialist for the pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine, Foreign Minister Stef Blok said in a letter to parliament, adding that he “regretted” Kiev’s decision.
MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by a Russian-made missile in July 2014 over eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 people on board.
Blok said the authorities had had the opportunity to question Tsemakh before he left for Russia but the Netherlands still profoundly regretted the outcome.
Russia had insisted that Tsemakh be handed over and consistently rejects any suggestion that it had a role in the disaster.
He said the Ukrainian government had no “moral right” to put off the swap any longer.
“As a state, Ukraine is showing the world that it is saving its citizens like the world’s strongest democracies,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Tsemakh had been questioned before being sent to Russia.
“We’ve done everything. Everything we’ve been asked to do. It was complicated. I was afraid that the exchange may fall through because of this,” Zelensky said.
Earlier Saturday, Russia and Ukraine carried out a long-awaited swap of 70 prisoners in a deal hailed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “first step” towards ending their conflict.